Tanzania's population of 47.4 million (2014) is highly diverse, composed of numerous ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups. Tanzania is a presidential constitutional republic, and since 1996, its official capital has been Dodoma, where the President's Office, the National Assembly, and some government ministries are located.[14]Dar es Salaam, the former capital, retains most government offices and is the country's largest city, principal port, and leading commercial center.[15][16][17]

European colonialism began in mainland Tanzania during the late 19th century when Germany formed German East Africa, which gave way to British rule following World War I. The mainland was governed as Tanganyika, with the Zanzibar Archipelago remaining a separate colonial jurisdiction. Following their respective independence in 1961 and 1963, the two entities merged in April 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania.[15]

The name "Tanganyika" is derived from the Swahili words tanga ("sail") and nyika ("uninhabited plain", "wilderness"), creating the phrase "sail in the wilderness". It is sometimes understood as a reference to Lake Tanganyika.[19]

The name of Zanzibar, on the other hand comes from "zangi", the Persian name for a local people (said to mean "black"), and the Persian word "bar", which means coast or shore.[20]

The first wave of migration was by Southern Cushitic speakers, who are ancestral to the Iraqw, Gorowa, and Burunge and who moved south from Ethiopia into Tanzania.[21]:page 17 Based on linguistic evidence, there may also have been two movements into Tanzania of Eastern Cushitic people at about 4,000 and 2,000 years ago, originating from north of Lake Turkana.[21]:pages 17–18

Archaeological evidence supports the conclusion that Southern Nilotes, including the Datoog, moved south from the present-day South Sudan / Ethiopia border region into central northern Tanzania between 2,900 and 2,400 years ago.[21]:page 18

These movements took place at approximately the same time as the settlement of the iron-making Mashariki Bantu in the Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika areas. They brought with them the west African planting tradition and the primary staple of yams. They subsequently migrated out of these regions across the rest of Tanzania between 2,300 and 1,700 years ago.[21]:page 18[22]

Eastern Nilotic peoples, including the Maasai, represent a more recent migration from present day South Sudan within the past 1,500 to 500 years.[21]:page 18[23]

The people of Tanzania have been associated with the production of iron and steel. The Pare people were the main producers of highly demanded iron for peoples who occupied the mountain regions of northeastern Tanzania.[24] The Haya people on the western shores of Lake Victoria invented a type of high-heat blast furnace, which allowed them to forge carbon steel at temperatures exceeding 1,820 °C (3,310 °F) more than 1,500 years ago.[25]

Travellers and merchants from the Persian Gulf and India have visited the east African coast since early in the first millennium A.D.[26]Islam was practised by some on the Swahili Coast as early as the eighth or ninth century A.D.[27]

In 1498, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama visited the Tanzanian coast. Later, in 1506, the Portuguese succeeded in controlling most of the Southeast African littoral.[citation needed] In 1699, the Portuguese were ousted from Zanzibar by Omani Arabs.[citation needed]

Claiming the coastal strip, Omani Sultan Seyyid Said moved his capital to Zanzibar City in 1840. During this time, Zanzibar became the centre for the Arab slave trade.[28] Between 65% and 90% of the population of Arab-SwahiliZanzibar was enslaved.[29] One of the most infamous slave traders on the East African coast was Tippu Tip, who was himself the grandson of an enslaved African. The Nyamwezi slave traders operated under the leadership of Msiri and Mirambo.[30] According to Timothy Insoll, "Figures record the exporting of 718,000 slaves from the Swahili coast during the 19th century, and the retention of 769,000 on the coast."[31]

In 1954, Julius Nyerere transformed an organisation into the politically oriented Tanganyika African National Union (TANU). TANU's main objective was to achieve national sovereignty for Tanganyika. A campaign to register new members was launched, and within a year TANU had become the leading political organisation in the country. Nyerere became Minister of British-administered Tanganyika in 1960 and continued as prime minister when Tanganyika became independent in 1961.

British rule came to an end on 9 December 1961, but for the first year of independence, Tanganyika had a governor general who represented the British monarch.[35]:page 6 On 9 December 1962, Tanganyika became a democratic republic under an executive president.[35]:page 6

After the Zanzibar Revolution overthrew the Arab dynasty in neighbouring Zanzibar,[36] which had become independent in 1963, the archipelago merged with mainland Tanganyika on 26 April 1964.[37] On 29 October of the same year, the country was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania ("Tan" comes from Tanganyika and "Zan" from Zanzibar).[15] The union of the two, hitherto separate, regions was controversial among many Zanzibaris (even those sympathetic to the revolution) but was accepted by both the Nyerere government and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar owing to shared political values and goals.

In 1967, Nyerere's first presidency took a turn to the left after the Arusha Declaration, which codified a commitment to socialism in Pan-African fashion. After the declaration, banks and many large industries were nationalised.

From the late 1970s, Tanzania's economy took a turn for the worse. Tanzania was also aligned with China, which from 1970 to 1975 financed and helped build the 1,860-kilometre-long (1,160 mi) TAZARA Railway from Dar es Salaam to Zambia.[38]

From the mid-1980s, the regime financed itself by borrowing from the International Monetary Fund and underwent some reforms. Since then, Tanzania's gross domestic product per capita has grown and poverty has been reduced.[39]

At 947,303 square kilometres (365,756 sq mi),[4] Tanzania is the 13th largest country in Africa and the 31st largest in the world, ranked between the larger Egypt and smaller Nigeria.[42] It borders Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. Tanzania is located on the eastern coast of Africa and has an Indian Ocean coastline approximately 800 kilometres (500 mi) long.[43]:page 1245 It also incorporates several offshore islands, including Unguja (Zanzibar), Pemba, and Mafia.[43]:page 1245 The country is the site of Africa's highest and lowest points: Mount Kilimanjaro, at 5,895 metres (19,341 ft) above sea level, and the floor of Lake Tanganyika, at 352 metres (1,155 ft) below sea level, respectively.[43]:page 1245

Tanzania is mountainous and densely forested in the northeast, where Mount Kilimanjaro is located. Three of Africa's Great Lakes are partly within Tanzania. To the north and west lie Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake, and Lake Tanganyika, the continent's deepest lake, known for its unique species of fish. To the southwest lies Lake Nyasa. Central Tanzania is a large plateau, with plains and arable land. The eastern shore is hot and humid, with the Zanzibar Archipelago just offshore.

The Kalambo water falls in the southwestern region of Rukwa are the second highest uninterrupted fall in Africa and are located near the southeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika on the border with Zambia.[44] The Menai Bay Conservation Area is Zanzibar's largest marine protected area.

Climate varies greatly within Tanzania. In the highlands, temperatures range between 10 and 20 °C (50 and 68 °F) during cold and hot seasons respectively. The rest of the country has temperatures rarely falling lower than 20 °C (68 °F). The hottest period extends between November and February (25–31 °C or 77.0–87.8 °F) while the coldest period occurs between May and August (15–20 °C or 59–68 °F). Annual temperature is 20 °C (68.0 °F). The climate is cool in high mountainous regions.

Tanzania has two major rainfall regimes: one is uni-modal (October–April) and the other is bi-modal (October–December and March–May).[45] The former is experienced in southern, central, and western parts of the country, and the latter is found in the north from Lake Victoria extending east to the coast.[45] The bi-modal regime is caused by the seasonal migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.[45]

Tanzania is a one party dominant state with the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party in power. From its formation until 1992, it was the only legally permitted party in the country. This changed on 1 July 1992, when amendments to the Constitution[52]:§ 3 and a number of laws permitting and regulating the formation and operations of more than one political party were enacted by the National Assembly.[citation needed] Elections for president and all National Assembly seats were last held in October 2010.[citation needed] The CCM holds approximately 75% of the seats in the assembly.[citation needed]

Neither the president nor the vice-president may be a member of the National Assembly.[52]:§ 66(2) The president appoints a prime minister, subject to confirmation by the assembly, to serve as the government's leader in the assembly.[52]:§§ 51(1)-(2), 52(2) The president selects his or her cabinet from assembly members.[52]:§ 55

All legislative power relating to mainland Tanzania and union matters is vested in the National Assembly,[52]:§ 64(1) which is unicameral and has a maximum of 357 members.[53] These include members elected to represent constituencies, the attorney general, five members elected by the Zanzibar house of representatives from among its own members, the special women's seats that constitute at least 30% of the seats that any party has in the assembly, the speaker of the assembly (if not otherwise a member of the assembly), and the persons (not more than ten) appointed by the president.[52]:§ 66(1) The Tanzania Electoral Commission demarcates the mainland into constituencies in the number determined by the commission with the consent of the president.[52]:§ 75

Tanzania has a four-level judiciary.[54] The lowest level courts on the Tanzanian mainland are the Primary Courts.[54] In Zanzibar, the lowest level courts are the Kadhi's Courts for Islamic family matters and the Primary Courts for all other cases.[54] On the mainland, appeal is to either the District Courts or the Resident Magistrates Courts.[54] In Zanzibar, appeal is to the Kadhi's Appeal Courts for Islamic family matters and the Magistrates Courts for all other cases.[54] From there, appeal is to the High Court of Mainland Tanzania or Zanzibar.[54] No appeal regarding Islamic family matters can be made from the High Court of Zanzibar.[54][55]:§ 99(1) Otherwise, the final appeal is to the Court of Appeal of Tanzania.[54]

The High Court of mainland Tanzania has three divisions – commercial, labour, and land[54] – and 15 geographic zones.[56] The High Court of Zanzibar has an industrial division, which hears only labour disputes.[57]

Mainland and union judges are appointed by the Chief Justice of Tanzania,[citation needed] except for those of the Court of Appeal and the High Court, who are appointed by the president of Tanzania.[52]: §§ 109(1), 118(2)-(3)

The legislative authority in Zanzibar over all non-union matters is vested in the House of Representatives (per the Tanzania constitution)[52]:§ 106(3) or the Legislative Council (per the Zanzibar constitution).

The Legislative Council has two parts: the President of Zanzibar and the House of Representatives.[52]:§ 107(1)-(2)[55]:§ 63(1) The President is Zanzibar's head of government and the chairman of the Revolutionary Council, in which the executive authority of Zanzibar is invested.[55]:§§ 5A(2), 26(1) Zanzibar has two vice-presidents, with the first being from the main opposition party in the house.[59][60] The second is from the party in power and is the leader of government business in the House.[60]

The President and the members of the House of Representatives have five-year terms.[55]:§ 28(2)

The President selects ministers from members of the House of Representatives,[55]:§ 42(2) with the ministers allocated according to the number of House seats won by political parties.[59] The Revolutionary Council consists of the president, both vice-presidents, all ministers, the attorney general of Zanzibar, and other house members deemed fit by the president.[59]

The House of Representatives is composed of elected members, ten members appointed by the president, all the regional commissioners of Zanzibar, the attorney general, and appointed female members whose number must be equal to 30% of the elected members.[55]:§§ 55(3), 64, 67(1) The House determines the number of its elected members[55]:§ 120(2) with the Zanzibar Electoral Commission determining the boundaries of each election constituency.[55]:§ 120(1) In 2013, the House has a total of 81 members: fifty elected members, five regional commissioners, the attorney general, ten members appointed by the president, and fifteen appointed female members.[53]

In 1972, local government on the mainland was abolished and replaced with direct rule from the central government. Local government, however, was reintroduced in the beginning of the 1980s, when the rural councils and rural authorities were re-established. Local government elections took place in 1983, and functioning councils started in 1984. In 1999, a Local Government Reform Programme was enacted by the National Assembly, setting "a comprehensive and ambitious agenda ... [covering] four areas: political decentralization, financial decentralization, administrative decentralization and changed central-local relations, with the mainland government having over-riding powers within the framework of the Constitution."[61]

Tanzania is divided into thirty regions (mkoa), twenty-five on the mainland and five in Zanzibar (three on Unguja, two on Pemba).[62][63] 169 districts (wilaya), also known as local government authorities, have been created. Of the 169 districts, 34 are urban units, which are further classified as three city councils (Arusha, Mbeya, and Mwanza), nineteen municipal councils, and twelve town councils.[6]

The urban units have an autonomous city, municipal, or town council and are subdivided into wards and mtaa. The non-urban units have an autonomous district council but are subdivided into village councils or township authorities (first level) and then into vitongoji.[61]

The city of Dar es Salaam is unique because it has a city council whose areal jurisdiction overlaps three municipal councils. The mayor of the city council is elected by that council. The twenty-member city council is composed of eleven persons elected by the municipal councils, seven members of the National Assembly, and "Nominated members of parliament under 'Special Seats' for women". Each municipal council also has a mayor. "The City Council performs a coordinating role and attends to issues cutting across the three municipalities", including security and emergency services.[64][65]

Tanzania's relations with other donor countries, including Japan and members of the European Union, are generally good, though donors are concerned about Tanzania's commitment to reducing government corruption.[43]:page 1250[66]

Multilateral relations

Tanzania is a member of the East African Community (EAC), along with Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and Burundi.[76] According to the East African Common Market Protocol of 2010, the free trade and free movement of people is guaranteed, including the right to reside in another member country for purposes of employment.[43]:page 1250[77][78] This protocol, however, has not been implemented because of work permit and other bureaucratic, legal, and financial obstacles.[79]

As of 2014, Tanzania's gross domestic product (GDP) was an estimated $43.8 billion,[85] or $86.4 billion on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis.[86] Tanzania is a middle-power country, with a per capita GDP of $1,813 (PPP),[86] which was 32% below the average of $2,673 for the 45 sub-Saharan African countries[87] and ranked 23rd among those countries.[88]

Tanzania weathered the Great Recession, which began in late 2008 or early 2009, relatively well. Strong gold prices, bolstering the country's mining industry, and Tanzania's poor integration into global markets helped to insulate the country from the downturn.[43]:page 1250 Since the recession ended, the Tanzanian economy has expanded rapidly thanks to strong tourism, telecommunications, and banking sectors.[43]:page 1250

According to the United Nations Development Program, however, recent growth in the national economy has benefited only the "very few", leaving out the majority of the population.[91] Tanzania's 2013 Global Hunger Index was worse than any other country in the EAC except Burundi.[92]:page 15 The proportion of persons who were undernourished in 2010–12 was also worse than any other EAC country except Burundi.[92]:page 51

The Tanzanian economy is heavily based on agriculture, which accounts for 24.5% of gross domestic product,[35]:page 37 provides 85% of exports,[15] and accounts for half of the employed workforce;[35]:page 56 The agricultural sector grew 4.3% in 2012, less than half of the Millennium Development Goal target of 10.8%.[93] 16.4% of the land is arable,[94] with 2.4% of the land planted with permanent crops.[95]

Maize was the largest food crop on the Tanzania mainland in 2013 (5.17 million tonnes), followed by cassava (1.94 million tonnes), sweet potatoes (1.88 million tonnes), beans (1.64 million tonnes), bananas (1.31 million tonnes), rice (1.31 million tonnes), and millet (1.04 million tonnes).[35]:page 58 Sugar was the largest cash crop on the mainland in 2013 (296,679 tonnes), followed by cotton (241,198 tonnes), cashew nuts (126,000 tonnes), tobacco (86,877 tonnes), coffee (48,000 tonnes), sisal (37,368 tonnes), and tea (32,422 tonnes).[35]:page 58 Beef was the largest meat product on the mainland in 2013 (299,581 tonnes), followed by lamb/mutton (115,652 tonnes), chicken (87,408 tonnes), and pork (50,814 tonnes).[35]:page 60

According to the 2002 National Irrigation Master Plan, 29.4 million hectares in Tanzania are suitable for irrigation farming; however, only 310,745 hectares in June 2011 were actually being irrigated.[96]

Industry and construction is a major and growing component of the Tanzanian economy, contributing 22.2% of GDP in 2013.[35]:page 37 This component includes mining and quarrying, manufacturing, electricity and natural gas, water supply, and construction.[35]:page 37

The government-owned Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) dominates the electric supply industry in Tanzania.[98] The country generated 6.013 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity in 2013, a 4.2% increase over the 5.771 billion kWh generated in 2012.[99]:page 4 Generation increased by 63% between 2005 and 2012;[100][101] however, only 15% of Tanzanians had access to electric power in 2011.[102] Almost 18% of the electricity generated in 2012 was lost because of theft and transmission and distribution problems.[100] The electrical supply varies, particularly when droughts disrupt hydropower electric generation; rolling blackouts are implemented as necessary.[43]:page 1251[98] The unreliability of the electrical supply has hindered the development of Tanzanian industry.[43]:page 1251 In 2013, 49.7% of Tanzania's electricity generation came from natural gas, 28.9% from hydroelectric sources, 20.4% from thermal sources, and 1.0% from outside the country.[99]:page 5 The government is building a 532 kilometres (331 mi) gas pipeline from Mnazi Bay to Dar es Salaam, with a scheduled completion in 2015.[103] This pipeline is expected to allow the country to double its electricity generation capacity to 3,000 megawatts by 2016.[104] The government's goal is to increase capacity to at least 10,000 megawatts by 2025.[105]

According to PFC Energy, 25 to 30 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas resources have been discovered in Tanzania since 2010.[97] Bringing the total reserves to over 43 trillion cubic feet by the end of 2013,.[106] The value of natural gas actually produced in 2013 was US $52.2 million, a 42.7% increase over 2012.[35]:page 73

Commercial production of gas from the Songo Songo Island field in the Indian Ocean commenced in 2004, thirty years after it was discovered there.[107][108] Over 35 billion cubic feet of gas was produced from this field in 2013,[35]:page 72 with proven, probable, and possible reserves totalling 1.1 trillion cubic feet.[108] The gas is transported by pipeline to Dar es Salaam.[107] As of 27 August 2014, TANESCO owed the operator of this field, Orca Exploration Group Inc., US $50.4 million, down from US $63.8 million two months earlier.[109]

A newer natural gas field in Mnazi Bay in 2013 produced about one-seventh of the amount produced near Songo Songo Island[35]:page 73 but has proven, probable, and possible reserves of 2.2 trillion cubic feet.[108] Virtually all of that gas is being used for electricity generation in Mtwara.[107]

The Ruvuma and Nyuna regions of Tanzania have been explored mostly by the discovery company that holds 75% interest, Aminex (AEX), and has shown to hold in excess of 3.5 TCF of natural gas.A pipeline connecting offshore natural gas fields to Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam was completed at the end of April 2015, but technical setbacks will keep it from going online until November 2015.[110]

Travel and tourism contributed 12.7% of Tanzania's gross domestic product and employed 11.0% of the country's labor force (1,189,300 jobs) in 2013.[111] The sector is growing rapidly, with overall receipts rising from US $1.74 billion in 2004 to US $4.48 billion in 2013,[111] and receipts from international tourists rising from US $1.255 billion in 2010 to US $1.880 billion in 2013.[112] In 2012, 1,043,000 tourists arrived at Tanzania's borders compared to 590,000 in 2005.[90] The vast majority of tourists visit Zanzibar or a "northern circuit" of Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, and Mount Kilimanjaro.[43]:page 1252 In 2013, the most visited national park was Serengeti (452,485 tourists), followed by Manyara (187,773) and Tarangire (165,949).[35]:page xx According to a 2013 published report, around 600,000 people visit the NCA annually, earning 56 billion Tanzanian shillings in 2012.

The Bank of Tanzania is the central bank of Tanzania and is primarily responsible for maintaining price stability, with a subsidiary responsibility for issuing Tanzanian shilling notes and coins.[113] At the end of 2013, the total assets of the Tanzanian banking industry were 19.5 trillion Tanzanian shillings, a 15% increase over 2012.[114]

Most transport in Tanzania is by road; road transport constitutes over 75% of the country's freight traffic and 80% of its passenger traffic.[43]:page 1252 The 86,500-kilometer road system is in generally poor condition.[43]:page 1252 Tanzania has two railway companies: TAZARA, which provides service between Dar es Salaam and Kapiri Mposhi (in a copper-mining district in Zambia), and Tanzania Railways Limited, which connects Dar es Salaam with central and northern Tanzania.[43]:page 1252 Rail travel in Tanzania often entails slow journeys with frequent cancellations or delays; the railways also have a deficient safety record.[43]:page 1252 Tanzania has four international airports, along with over 100 small airports or landing strips; airport infrastructure tends to be in poor condition.[43]:page 1253 Airlines in Tanzania include Air Tanzania, Precision Air, Fastjet, Coastal Aviation, and ZanAir.[43]:page 1253 Several modern hydrofoil boats provide transportation across the Indian Ocean between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.

The communications sector is the fastest growing sector in Tanzania, expanding 22.8% in 2013; however, the sector accounted for only 2.4% of gross domestic product that year.[99]:page 2

As of 2011, Tanzania had 56 mobile telephone subscribers per 100 inhabitants, a rate slightly above the sub-Saharan average.[43]:page 1253 Very few Tanzanians have fixed-line telephones.[43]:page 1253 Approximately 12% of Tanzanians used the internet as of 2011, though this number is rapidly growing.[43]:page 1253 The country has a fiber-optic cable network that recently replaced unreliable satellite service, but internet bandwidth remains very low.[43]:page 1253

According to the 2012 census, the total population was 44,928,923.[6] The under 15 age group represented 44.1% of the population.[115]

The population distribution in Tanzania is extremely uneven. Most people live on the northern border or the eastern coast, with much of the remainder of the country being sparsely populated.[43]:page 1252 Density varies from 12 per square kilometre (31/sq mi) in the Katavi Region to 3,133 per square kilometre (8,110/sq mi) in the Dar es Salaam Region.[6]:page 6

Approximately 70% of the population is rural, although this percentage has been declining since at least 1967.[116] Dar es Salaam (population 4,364,541[117]) is the largest city and commercial capital. Dodoma (population 410,956[117]), located in the centre of Tanzania, is the capital of the country and hosts the National Assembly. Other large cities include Mwanza (population 706,543), Arusha (population 416,442), Mbeya (population 385,279), and Morogoro (population 315,866).[117]

The population also includes people of Arab, Indian, and Pakistani origin, and small European and Chinese communities.[120] Many also identify as Shirazis. Thousands of Arabs and Indians were massacred during the Zanzibar Revolution of 1964.[36] As of 1994, the Asian community numbered 50,000 on the mainland and 4,000 on Zanzibar. An estimated 70,000 Arabs and 10,000 Europeans lived in Tanzania.[121]

According to 2010 Tanzanian government statistics, the total fertility rate in Tanzania was 5.4 children born per woman, with 3.7 in urban mainland areas, 6.1 in rural mainland areas, and 5.1 in Zanzibar.[126]:page 55 For all women aged 45–49, 37.3% had given birth to eight or more children, and for currently married women in that age group, 45.0% had given birth to that many children.[126]:page 61

Current statistics on religion are unavailable because religious surveys were eliminated from government census reports after 1967. Religious leaders and sociologists estimate that Muslim and Christian communities are approximately equal in size, each accounting for 30 to 40% of the population, with the remainder consisting of practitioners of other faiths, indigenous religions, and people of no religion.[127]

The Christian population is mostly composed of Roman Catholics and Protestants. Among Protestants, the large number of Lutherans and Moravians point to the German past of the country, while the number of Anglicans point to the British history of Tanganyika. Pentecostals and Adventists are also present due to missionary activity. All of them have had some influence in varying degrees from the Walokole movement (East African Revival), which has also been fertile ground for the spread of charismatic and Pentecostal groups.[130]

On the mainland, Muslim communities are concentrated in coastal areas, with some large Muslim majorities also in inland urban areas especially and along the former caravan routes. A large majority of the Muslim population is Sunni. The Islamic population of Dar es Salaam, the largest and richest city in Tanzania, is composed of mainly Sunni Muslim.

There are also active communities of other religious groups, primarily on the mainland, such as Buddhists, Hindus, and Bahá'ís.[131]

Swahili is used in parliamentary debate, in the lower courts, and as a medium of instruction in primary school; English is used in foreign trade, in diplomacy, in higher courts, and as a medium of instruction in secondary and higher education,[1] although the Tanzanian government plans to discontinue English as a language of instruction altogether.[132] In connection with his Ujamaa social policies, President Nyerere encouraged the use of Swahili as a means of unifying the country's many ethnic groups.[133] Approximately 10% of Tanzanians speak Swahili as a first language, and up to 90% speak it as a second language.[1] Most Tanzanians thus speak both Swahili and a local language; many educated Tanzanians are trilingual, also speaking English.[134][135][136] The widespread use and promotion of Swahili is contributing to the decline of smaller languages in the country.[1][137] Young children increasingly speak Swahili as a first language, particularly in urban areas.[138] Ethnic community languages (ECL, other than Kiswahili) are not allowed as language of instruction, neither are they taught as subject, though they might be used unofficially (illegally) in some cases in initial education. Television and radio programmes in ECL are prohibited, and it is nearly impossible to get a permission to publish a newspaper in ECL. There is no department of local or regional African Languages and Literatures at the University of Dar es Salaam.[139]

Based on 2012 data, the literacy rate in Tanzania for persons aged 15 and over is estimated to be 67.8%.[142] Education is compulsory until children reach age 15.[143] In 2010, 74.1% of children age 5 to 14 years were attending school.[143] The primary school completion rate was 80.8% in 2012.[143]

Malaria in Tanzania causes death and disease and has a "huge economic impact".[146]:page 13 There were approximately 11.5 million cases of clinical malaria in 2008.[146]:page 12 In 2007–08, malaria prevalence among children aged 6 months to 5 years was highest in the Kagera Region (41.1%) on the western shore of Lake Victoria and lowest in the Arusha Region (0.1%).[146]:page 12

2012 data showed that 53% of the population used improved drinking water sources (defined as a source that "by nature of its construction and design, is likely to protect the source from outside contamination, in particular from faecal matter") and 12% used improved sanitation facilities (defined as facilities that "likely hygienically separates human excreta from human contact" but not including facilities shared with other households or open to public use).[147]

The World Health Organization estimated in 2012 that the prevalence of HIV was 3.1%,[144] although the Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey 2011–12 found that, on average, 5.1 of those tested in the 15 to 49 age group were HIV-positive.[148]Anti-retroviral treatment coverage for people living with HIV was 37% in 2013, compared to 19% in 2011.[149] According to a 2013 report published by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS that compares 2012 with 2001 data, AIDS deaths have decreased 33%, new HIV infections have decreased 36%, and new HIV infections among children have decreased 67%.[150]

Tanzania's literary culture is primarily oral.[119]:page 68 Major oral literary forms include folktales, poems, riddles, proverbs, and songs.[119]:page 69 The greatest part of Tanzania's recorded oral literature is in Swahili, even though each of the country's languages has its own oral tradition.[119]:pages 68–9 The country's oral literature has been declining because of the breakdown of the multigenerational social structure, thus making transmission of oral literature more difficult, and because increasing modernization has been accompanied by the devaluation of oral literature.[119]:page 69

Historically, there have been only limited opportunities for formal art training in Tanzania, and many aspiring Tanzanian artists have left the country to pursue their vocation.[151]:papge 17 One of the most famous African artists – George Lilanga – was born in Tanzania.

Two Tanzanian art styles have achieved international recognition.[151]:papge 17 The Tingatinga school of painting, founded by Edward Said Tingatinga, consists of brightly colored enamel paintings on canvas, generally depicting people, animals, or daily life.[119]:page 113[151]:papge 17 After Tingatinga's death in 1972, other artists adopted and developed his style, with the genre now being the most important tourist-oriented style in East Africa.[119]:page 113[151]:papge 17 Makonde is both a tribe in Tanzania and Mozambique and a sculptural style. It is known for the high Ujamaas (Trees of Life) made of the hard and dark ebony tree.

One of Tanzania's, and other parts of eastern Africa's, most common cultural dishes is Ugali. It is usually composed of corn and is similar in consistency to a stiff paste or porridge, giving it its second name of corn meal porridge. Mixtures of cassava and millet flours are locally used for ugali. Rice and cooked green bananas are also important staples. Beef, goat meat, beans, yoghurt, and a wide range of fish and green leafy vegetables all add nutrients to the dishes.

^Pew Forum on Religious & Public life. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2013.

^Moritz Fischer (2011). "‘The Spirit helps us in our weakness’: Charismatization of Worldwide Christianity and the Quest for an Appropriate Pneumatology with Focus on the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania". Journal of Pentecostal Theology20: 96–121.